


Call Me if You Need Me

by LiterallyThePresident



Category: Teen Titans (Animated Series)
Genre: Family Feels, Fear gas, batman misses his son
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-02
Updated: 2019-05-02
Packaged: 2020-02-15 23:04:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,164
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18679111
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LiterallyThePresident/pseuds/LiterallyThePresident
Summary: “Master Bruce is rather distraught, you see.” and now Alfred sounded pained, “The dose he received was not enough to render him immobile, but it is causing some paranoia and unpleasant hallucinations. He... Well, he appears to be rather convinced that something has happened to you.”





	Call Me if You Need Me

Movie night was in full swing when Robin’s emergency comm started chirping, signaling an emergency call from Batman. Robin managed to keep his voice calm as he quietly excused himself to take the call, heart in his throat. Batman wouldn’t try to contact him unless it was a real emergency.

“Batman.” he answered, keeping his voice neutral, but it was not Batman’s voice that replied.

“Master Richard, I do apologize for calling at so late an hour.” Alfred’s calm, if a little frazzled, voice answered. Robin stiffened straight, mind racing through possible reasons Alfred would be calling from Batman’s comm. None of them were good.

“Is he-“ he asked fearfully, but Alfred sensed his train of thought and put it well to an end.

“He is alive, dear boy.” he assured him, “He is simply... He’s had a rough night.”

“What happened?” he asked, all business. 

“He was in a fight with the Joker again.” Alfred explained, “Though he emerged the victor, he was unfortunately unable to avoid a light dose of the fear gas.” Robin’s heart quailed, knowing exactly what that felt like.

“Do you need me to come visit?” he asked, “I can be there in a few hours. How bad was it?”

“That will not be necessary, Master Richard.” Alfred assured him, “I hope that simply hearing your voice will suffice.”

“My voice?” he asked with some confusion, “How would that help? Doesn’t the gas usually make him see his parents?”

“Master Bruce is rather distraught, you see.” and now Alfred sounded pained, “The dose he received was not enough to render him immobile, but it is causing some paranoia and unpleasant hallucinations. He... Well, he appears to be rather convinced that something has happened to you.”

“Happened to me?” he frowned, “I... I’m fine though. Was this a new kind of gas? Or...” or was Robin’s absence affecting the Dark Knight more than he’d thought it would? He ruthlessly shoved that train of thought down for later examination. Batman needed him now. Apparently. 

“I believe he will be most benefited if it came from you directly.” Alfred said, “May I put him on?”

“Uh, yes. Thank you, Alfred. Miss you.”

“I miss you too.” the man said warmly, “Alright Master Bruce, here. Richard is fine, you see?”

“Robin?” Batman sounded... not great. Ragged and tense, his voice like a wire strung too tight, “Are you...?”

“I’m here.” he said gently, “I’m fine. Alive and kicking, you trained me well.”

“Where are you?” Batman asked roughly, “Why aren’t you here?”

“Batman, you know why I’m not there.” he frowned, “We fought, remember? But that’s okay, we’re still family. I’m just in a different city.”

“We... We fought. Right, we... we should never have fought, chum.” and suddenly Robin wasn’t talking to Batman anymore, but Bruce, “It was stupid. _I_ was stupid. I just wanted to keep you safe, and instead I drove you away.”

“Hey, that’s not-“

“If something happens to you.” his breath hitched, and Robin wondered fearfully if he was about to hear his stoic mentor cry, “Dick, if anything _ever_ happened  to you, I don’t know what I would-“

“Hey. Stop.” he said, gentle yet firm, “Don’t think about that, okay? This is the fear gas talking, not you.” A year ago he would have been completely out of his depth being the one doing the comforting. But being the leader of his team had taught him a lot of new skills.

“I keep seeing my parents die.” he continued, “But you keep dying too.” Robin blinked at that.

“I do?”

“It won’t stop.” he whispered, “They won’t stop shooting you. Your grappling hook won’t stop breaking. You scream as you fall.” Robin’s lips tightened, every part of him torn between maintaining his distance and hopping on his bike and flying to Gotham. He took a deep breath.

“This is temporary.” he said, “The gas will wear off and you’ll beat yourself up about some perceived weakness, I know you. But you’re the strongest person I know, even if you’re a stubborn asshole sometimes. Scratch that, all the time. But... you’re still my dad.”

“Dick.” he made a sound that could easily be mistaken for a sniffle were he not the goddamn Batman, “Come home.” Robin closed his eyes, pained. 

“You know I can’t do that, B.” he replied softly, “But... maybe I can visit sometime. If you still want me to once you aren’t doped up on fear gas.”

“I always want you to visit.” he said, “I miss you.” Robin had always wanted to hear him say that. Just not like this. 

“Hey.” he said instead, “Would it help if I stayed on the line until the gas wears off?”

“Don’t go.” he said instantly, and Robin sighed.

“Alright”. he said easily, “Wanna hear what trouble my team and I have been getting up to?”

“Trouble?” he asked, a hint of that Bat Protectiveness in his tone that instinctively put Robin at ease. He chuckled.

“Harmless trouble”. he assured him, “So Beast Boy accidentally corrupted Cyborg’s hardware trying to play some video game. Don’t ask how, I have no idea, but it was beyond even my technical skills to fix, so we had to go to this whack job called Gizmo....”

He stayed on the line for hours, ignoring his own fatigue. He was in the middle of telling the story about the time he’d been forced to go to prom with Killer Moth’s daughter when Alfred’s soft voice gently interrupted him.

“He’s asleep.” the butler said, his voice warm, “At last.”

“Will he be okay, Alfred?” he asked worriedly.

“He will.” he replied, “I imagine he’s going to be quite embarrassed about this when he awakens.”

“Wish I could see it.” he chuckled, “Tell me how that goes.”

“I shall.” Alfred chuckled, “Do you require anything else of me, Master Richard?”

“Yeah, get some sleep and take the day off.” he grinned, “If Bruce argues, tell him its an order from me.”

“But of course.” he chuckled pleasantly, “In that case, I shall let you return to your own rest.”

“It was nice talking to you again, Alfred.” he smiled, “I miss you.”

“And I you, Master Richard.” he replied, “Now sleep.”

“Yes sir.” he chuckled, ending the call with a yawn. He’d missed movie night, his team was gonna be annoyed. But he couldn’t find it in him to really care. They’d understand once he explained it was a family thing.

He got a call from Batman the next day, and instead of an apology he just got a stiff thank you before the man immediately launched into questioning just how safe his teammates were to be around if something like Raven’s fear could manifest and attack them. Robin rolled his eyes, and soon they were arguing just like old times.

And if Batman’s eyes didn’t ever leave his face, if his words were softer and less gruff than usual, Robin didn’t question it. 

**Author's Note:**

> Unbetaed so I apologize


End file.
